Pam Gaulin – Fri Sep 24, 2:30 pm ET
The pen is mightier than the sword and, apparently, it can also be more offensive. Many of us have read the most commonly banned and challenged classics, including "The Great Gatsby," "The Catcher in the Rye," "1984" and "Catch-22." Some of the other titles on the list of banned and challenged books may surprise you.

"Captain Underpants"
Some folks had their underwear in a bunch over this children's book series by Dav Pilkey. The "Captain Underpants" series -- about two fourth-graders and their superhero of a principal -- was one of the top 10 most frequently banned and challenged books for 2002, 2004 and 2005. The books were said to contain offensive language, to be sexually explicit and to be anti-family.

"The Lord of the Rings"
J.R.R Tolkien's book was burned, not in the fires of Mount Doom, but outside of a church in Alamogordo, N.M., in 2001 because it was viewed as "Satanic."

Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary
When it comes to banning books, even the dictionary gets no respect. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary was pulled from the shelf of a school in Menifee, Calif. The offending term in the dictionary? "Oral sex." The entry references of the dictionary also included cunnilingus and fellatio, which were not cited as the reasons for pulling the dictionary off the shelf. Merriam-Webster has been publishing language reference books for more than 150 years. They were bound to offend someone along the way.

"Fahrenheit 451"
Could a book about censorship really be banned? Absolutely. Enter "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury. The book has been banned by the Mississippi School District (1999). It's also No. 69 on the American Library Association's list of top banned/challenged books from 2000 to 2009.

Harry Potter series
One of the most surprising banned books sits at the No. 1 spot on the ALA list. It's not even a book. It's the entire Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series is to teens what "Star Wars" was to an entire generation of now-40-somethings. The series has been challenged for occultism, Satanism, violence, being anti-family and having religious viewpoint. The series is No. 1 on the ALA's most challenged book list for 2000 to 2009.

"The Grapes of Wrath"
John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" is not just another classic on the list. The book was originally banned in California due to obscenity, but the catalyst behind the banning was based more in embarrassment: The people in the region did not like how their area and the workers' situation was portrayed in the novel.

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
Most parents of kids under 5 have seen Eric Carle's art accompanying the book by Bill Martin. The Texas Board of Education banned the book, in January 2010, because it thought the book was written by the same Bill Martin who penned the nonchildren's book "Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation."

"James and the Giant Peach"
Author Roald Dahl is no stranger to being banned. His book "The Witches" is on the ALA's 100 most frequently challenged books for 1990 to 1999 for its depictions of women and witches. But what about James and his peach? Was there witchcraft at work? James was disobedient and there was violence in the book.

American Heritage Dictionary (1969)
The American Heritage Dictionary of 1969 was also banned in 1978 from a library in Eldon, Mo., because of 39 objectionable words. The dictionary continued to cause trouble as far away as Alaska, where it was banned by the Anchorage School Board in 1987 for its inclusion of slang words, including "balls."

Grimm's Fairy Tales
Fairy tales have always held a precarious place in children's literature. On one side, readers have fairy-tale purists who lament the morals lost in fairy tales that have been too cleaned up. Others object to any violence in fairy tales. A couple of California school districts found a whole new reason to ban Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1989: misuse of alcohol. Little Red Riding Hood's basket for her grandmother includes wine. Maybe it wasn't a California red.

I almost died laughing when I saw captain underpants. I loved that book as a kid. Only books over 100 pages I finished from 2nd-5th grade.

Fahrenheit 451 banning is ironic... would be more ironic if it was burned.

I love how christians burn and ban books they think is devil worship or witchcraft because they don't understand it.
You know they burn medical books constantly because they think medicine is witchery. Its amusing sometimes.

I know alot of Christians. I are one. I don't know any that burn books?

Captain Underpants got freaking annoying when my kid was reading them. Couldn't get him to read much else when he was in 2nd grade, much to my displeasure....and he went to a Christian school.

It really ticked me off when they changed the words to Brown Bear. It used to say, "I see a Mother looking at me". They changed it to "a teacher". They also took out the word "beautiful" when it described the children. All kids are beautiful.

I know alot of Christians. I are one. I don't know any that burn books?

Captain Underpants got freaking annoying when my kid was reading them. Couldn't get him to read much else when he was in 2nd grade, much to my displeasure....and he went to a Christian school.

It really ticked me off when they changed the words to Brown Bear. It used to say, "I see a Mother looking at me". They changed it to "a teacher". They also took out the word "beautiful" when it described the children. All kids are beautiful.

Well not all Christians, when I say Christians I mean groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. Well they are extreme, but groups of Chirstians like this get together and go against something because its devil worship or witchery. I went to a catholic school, but I had some mental problems, I have aspergers syndrome, and they thought I was evil because I acted out because I had a hard time learning.

Well not all Christians, when I say Christians I mean groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. Well they are extreme, but groups of Chirstians like this get together and go against something because its devil worship or witchery. I went to a catholic school, but I had some mental problems, I have aspergers syndrome, and they thought I was evil because I acted out because I had a hard time learning.

I'm really sorry you had that experience. It must have been very difficult for you and your family. Everyone who is human blows it at some points but when it is some sort of leadership who you look at to behave in a Christ-like manner, it can be so hurtful. Hopefully, they know better and do better now.

Well not all Christians, when I say Christians I mean groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. Well they are extreme, but groups of Chirstians like this get together and go against something because its devil worship or witchery. I went to a catholic school, but I had some mental problems, I have aspergers syndrome, and they thought I was evil because I acted out because I had a hard time learning.

I'm sorry you had to go thru that.

I recently read a book about a man who also has Aspergers. If more people learned about it then you and others wouldn't and shouldn't have to have gone thru what you did.

As for the banned books ... completely ridiculous and some people are so uptight and need to relax especially those that are put in charge of making these decisions.

Ironically, I have quite a few of the banned books on shelves throughout my house and I wouldn't flinch in the least if the children in my family chose to pluck any of them off the shelf to read.